Passing through the Cumberland Gap

While the low-hanging clouds made for interesting photography, I think a clear sky would have been just fine. Please forgive my ignorance but I was surprised at just how many miles we wound around the mountains to pass through Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. I guess I thought it would just be a climb over a narrow range of mountains. Rather, it was a winding, fairly level route over miles and miles of highway. At times, the mountains were very near on both sides; at other times, there was room for towns and pastures. It wasn't hard to see why passing over the mountains to the left or right would be much more challenging. I had to wonder how people remembered their way through.